Before bombs leveled the supermarket owned by his parents, before he and his family, like herds of other Serbians, were forced to flee their home in the Croatian town of Požega for the simple reason that they were Serbian and the men raining fire down upon them were not, before a bitter and deadly civil […]

Before bombs leveled the supermarket owned by his parents, before he and his family, like herds of other Serbians, were forced to flee their home in the Croatian town of Požega for the simple reason that they were Serbian and the men raining fire down upon them were not, before a bitter and deadly civil war throughout the final decade of the 20th century tore apart what used to be Yugoslavia, Peja Stojaković would spend a few nights every year watching TV in his family living room, fighting the backs of his eyelids to stay awake.

He was a kid back then, about 12 or 13 years old, in love with basketball and trying to soak up as much of the NBA in whatever way he could. That meant tuning in for whatever odd game trickled out of the U.S. and onto Yugoslavian TV, usually matchups featuring the era’s top teams: Detroit’s Bad Boys, Bird’s Celtics, MJ’s Bulls.

But nothing excited Peja quite like All-Star Games. They offered a chance to see all the League’s best players facing one another on the same floor. The games didn’t tip-off until around 2 a.m. local time and so Peja’s parents would try repeatedly to throw him out of the T.V. room and back to bed.

There were no Europeans in those games. Peja would have to wait until 1993, when he was 15, to witness Germany’s Detlef Schrempf break that barrier. But he was stubborn and persistent and also obsessed with the NBA, which usually meant he got his way. As he sat there and watched Magic majestically push the ball up the court and Chris Mullin stroke jumpers from the outside and Charles Barkley do a little of everything, he couldn’t help but dream of one day wearing an All-Star Game jersey himself and performing on that stage.

He never imagined that his dream would wind up underselling his true impact on the game, that he’d go from refugee to NBA star and help dispel some popular-yet-ignorant stereotypes along the way.

Stojaković has just completed a mundane meeting on a mundane mid-season afternoon when he answers his cell phone. His playing career ended seven years ago. But now, after a stint that a former teammate once referred to as “civil life”—meaning life outside of the NBA bubble, which for Stojaković consisted of some restaurant investments and, somehow, a solar energy project in Greece—he’s returned to the NBA and to one of his former teams, the Sacramento Kings, for whom he holds the fancy sounding official title of Director of Player Personnel and Development. There, even the most boring meetings leave him feeling fulfilled.

“It just felt right,” Stojakovic says. “That other stuff gave me good experience but they didn’t drive me, it didn’t excite me.”

Basketball does, partly because of what the sport has meant and done for him and also what it’s allowed him to do for others.

Stojaković’s NBA career technically began in 1996, when the Kings drafted him 19th overall, though it took two years for him to make his NBA debut. When he made that debut during the 1998-99 season, he was a starring player on one of the NBA’s best and most enthralling teams. A team, stylistically, very much ahead of its time. “We played like today’s Warriors, only we didn’t shoot the same volume of 3s,” Stojaković’s former teammate Doug Christie says. They’d pass and cut back door and run and shoot and when it came to shooting, Stojaković was, well, king—even if his form resembled something you’d see on a playground full of novices.

Instead of keeping his right shooting arm in a tight “L” and raising the ball straight up, he’d swing his elbow out past his hip and swipe the ball across his face before slinging it towards the hoop. Instead of keeping his toes pointed forward they’d bend inwards, bringing his knees within inches of touching.

Textbook it was not, and yet something about that crooked jumper was so smooth, so fluid. It’s hard to make ugly look pretty, but Stojaković was able to do exactly that. He could also handle the ball, too, despite being a 6-9 forward, and during the early 2000s he torched nets for a Kings squad that was perpetually competing for titles, but also perpetually coming up just short. (Some shady officiating certainly didn’t help, but that’s a story for another day.)

As time marched on, and that electric Kings team was eventually dissolved, a pair of Stojaković misfires served as representatives for that team’s overall failure, and, to many, as symbols for why many European players couldn’t be trusted when it mattered most.

It was Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Trailing the Lakers—the Kobe-Shaq defending champion Lakers—by 1, at home, with about 13 seconds remaining, Kings forward Hedo Turkoglu drove and dished to a wide open Stojaković standing in the left corner. His shot sailed over the rim by about two feet.

Sacramento wound up tying the game up, only to find itself in a similar situation in overtime. With 10 seconds remaining and trailing by 2, Kings guard Mike Bibby drove and dished to Stojaković, once again wide open but this time on the left wing. He cocked and flung the ball towards the basket. It missed the entire rim and flew off the backboard into the waiting hands of Lakers forward Robert Horry.

“You obviously regret parts of your career and you remember the stuff that didn’t go well more than the stuff that did,” Stojakovic says. “But honestly, it’s not like I’m thinking about those shots every day. You just move on and try to make the best of the next opportunity.”

And anyway, Stojaković was chasing something greater.

“I wasn’t given promises in my career,” he says. “I was always proving myself, every day of every year.”

The call came in about four months prior to that Game 7. It was around 8:30 in the morning and Stojaković was on his way to a local school for an appearance when his phone rang. It was a Kings public relations staffer and he had some news: Stojaković had been named a reserve member of the Western Conference All-Star Team. He’d also be competing in the Three-Point Contest, which, of course, he’d wind up winning, and repeating as champion the following year.

But it was that first All-Star Game honor that has always held the most weight. After all, as a kid it was the game itself, not the contest surrounding it, that led to him fending off his scheduled bedtime calls so that he could watch.

“Being part of that game, it makes you feel like you’re part of something big,” Stojakovic says. “Especially for me, being from Europe.”

Stojaković is wary of labeling himself a trailblazer. He’s more of the deferential type, instead tossing out other names like Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili and Pau Gasol. Push him, though, and he’ll concede, just a bit, and admit that “I think we”—it has to be “we”; “I” won’t due—“kind of helped open those doors for NBA scouts and management to have more trust in bringing kids over from Europe.”

Those who followed in his footsteps are aware of this as well.

“He was one of the Europeans who kind of paved the way for me and others,” says Kristaps Porzingis, the 22-year-old Knicks star and Latvian native.

It’s not just that Stojaković played and excelled. It goes back to a word, soft, and the way it was so often thrown at the feet of European players during his career. America, despite its welcoming slogans, has always had some not-so-beneath-the-surface issues with foreigners. Fans, players and executives questioning the toughness of European basketball players has always been how that fear has manifested itself in the NBA.

“I don’t even know where that came from, but it was definitely something that was talked about back then,” Christie says.

It didn’t matter that Stojaković grew up a refugee in a war-torn country, or that those two missed shots against Lakers came in a series where he was hobbling around on a blown-up sprained ankle and yet had still played 25 minutes that evening—the opposite of soft, however you choose to define what the word even means.

“I haven’t seen many people fight on NBA floors,” Stojaković jokes when asked whether the barb bothered him. “I never thought about it that much. I always looked at it that you step on the floor and do the best that you can. I don’t think you can label somebody like that. I don’t even know what soft means. At the end of the day it’s a game and either you can play or you cannot play. My coach when I was young used to talk about our ceiling. We all have different ceilings and your goal is to reach it.”

Stojaković eventually reached his. He responded to that loss to the Lakers with three brilliant seasons and even finished fourth in the 2003-04 MVP voting. He played 15 years in total, retired with a scoring average of 17 points per game and eventually did win a title, with Dallas, in the final season of his 15-year career.

But acknowledging that he believes he fulfilled his potential is about as far as he’s willing go when it comes to legacy talk. He’s not interested in any special praise or a slap on the back. The way he sees it, he worked hard, enjoyed some luck, hit some shots, missed some shots and most of all relished every day along the way. And perhaps that’s all true. Perhaps he was just a talented and lucky man who happened to be in the right place at the right time. But that doesn’t diminish what he did for NBA, and, if you believe in such tangential connections between sports and society, the country as a whole.

The interview wraps up and Stojaković hangs up and returns to his job of Kings executive. He’ll no doubt check in with his boss, general manager and Serbian native Vlade Divac, and perhaps they’ll review a directive from Vivek Ranadivé, the team’s Indian-born owner. Or maybe they’ll speak with one of the handful of GMs born outside the United States. Who knows, maybe one of the 113 international players, none of whom are viewed as soft, currently suiting up for NBA teams is on the trade block? Or maybe there’s a kid in some far-off place who needs to be scouted, a kid studying clips of NBA players dreaming of the day he, too, might change the game.

—

Yaron Weitzman is a Senior Writer at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @YaronWeitzman.

The Sacramento Kings are putting the ol’ band back together … in the front-office. It was announced Monday night that Vlade Divac, who has quickly risen in the ranks since coming onboard, will now serve at the franchise’s Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. .@bgoodvlade will now serve as the Vice President of […]

The Sacramento Kings today announced that Vlade Divac will serve as the Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager moving forward. Hired in March as the V.P. of Basketball and Franchise Operations, his expanded role in the Kings front office emphasizes a commitment to improving the organization on the court and comes in conjunction with Mike Bratz being named Assistant General Manager, Roland Beech as Vice President of Basketball Strategy and Data Science and Peja Stojakovic as Director of Player Personnel and Development.

Stojakovic rejoins the organization after one of the most successful playing careers in Sacramento Kings annals. In his new role as Director of Player Personnel and Development, he will be responsible for keeping abreast of domestic and international talent pools available to the Kings as well as assisting Divac and Bratz with the team’s scouting efforts. Additionally, Stojakovic will serve as general manager for the Reno Bighorns, Sacramento’s D-League affiliate. Selected 14th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, the Serbian-born sharpshooter helped form a nucleus that would go on to participate in the postseason in each of his seven seasons in a Kings uniform.

“We’re fortunate as an organization to enter this season with three professionals of this caliber,” said Divac. “Having such individuals as integral members of our basketball operations team offers more than a unique set of basketball philosophies, experiences and instincts, but also a depth of character commonly associated with winning cultures. With Mike, Roland and Peja on board, I’m more confident than ever in the future success of the Sacramento Kings.”

The Kings have offered former All-Star Peja Stojakovic a job in their front office, according to a report this weekend from Marc Stein of ESPN. Peja played with Vlade Divac for years in Sacramento—Divac is now the VP of basketball ops for the Kings. Stojakovic, 38, is currently in Europe, but Divac wants him to move back and be a player personnel guy. Smart move?

The story:

The Sacramento Kings have offered a full-time ‎position in their front office to former All-Star sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic, according to league sources.

Sources said new Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac has asked his former NBA and international teammate Stojakovic to leave Europe and move back to the United States to assist him in a player personnel role.

Stojakovic’s No. 16 jersey was retired by the Kings in December. He attended summer league in Las Vegas with the Kings in a consulting role to Divac earlier this month, but sources say a firm decision on whether the 38-year-old joins them on a permanent basis might not come before September.‎

Stojakovic, 38, was drafted by the Kings in 1996 and joined them as a player before the lockout-shortened 1999 season, which was also Divac’s first as a King. Together with Chris Webber and Jason Williams, Sacramento’s Serbian duo helped transform the franchise’s fortunes and made them one of the West’s strongest teams for a half-decade.

The three-time All-Star subsequently played for Indiana, New Orleans and Toronto before winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Stojakovic also teamed with Divac to win gold medals with Serbia in both the 2001 EuroBasket and the 2002 World Championship tournaments.

As planned, the Sacramento Kings held a halftime ceremony Tuesday night, honoring sharp-shooter Peja Stojakovic. Peja’s no.16 jersey went up to the rafters of Sleep Train Arena, as many of his former Kings teammates looked on.

A compilation of the best images from the past seven days. The preseason is well underway. Check out some old faces on new teams, now retired stars back in the limelight, and a game-winning shot courtesy of Jimmy Butler in this week’s NBA photos above.

Peja Stojakovic’s no.16 jersey is going up in the rafters at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento next season, it was announced Tuesday by the Kings. Sweet-shooting Peja, a three-time NBA All-Star and world champion as a member of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, will be honored Dec.16 when the Kings host the OKC Thunder. From the […]

Peja Stojakovic’s no.16 jersey is going up in the rafters at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento next season, it was announced Tuesday by the Kings.

Sweet-shooting Peja, a three-time NBA All-Star and world champion as a member of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, will be honored Dec.16 when the Kings host the OKC Thunder. From the press release:

The Kings drafted Serbia-born Stojakovic in the first-round (14th overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft. In addition to leading the Kings in games played during the Sacramento-era, Stojakovic ranks first in Kings franchise history (1948-current) in three-pointers made (1,070) and attempted (2,687), and in free throw percentage (.893). He’s also ranked second on the Kings all-time scoring list with 9,498 points scored, third in field goals made (3,352) and attempted (7,269), and fifth in steals (543).

“Peja Stojakovic was instrumental in putting Sacramento on the map on a global scale,” said Kings Owner Vivek Ranadivé. “As one of only a select group of Serbian players in the NBA, Peja helped carve out a place for basketball players from all over the world. Recognizing his leadership will be a special moment for fans and the entire Kings organization, as well as a great reminder of the kind of success we are building in Sacramento.”

“My time in Sacramento was the best years of my career and truly some of the best years of my life,” said Stojakovic. “I am proud of what we built in Sacramento and the connection we made with the fans and the community. Kings fans are some of the best fans in the world, and it was an honor to play for them. I want to thank Vivek and the entire Kings family for welcoming me back for this celebration, and I look forward to following the exciting times ahead for the Sacramento Kings.”

Peja Stojakovic, one of the purest shooters in the history of the game, has decided to retire after 13 seasons. At age 34 and fresh off a Championship with the Dallas Mavericks, Stojakovic attributes his retirement to the physical toll caused by a series of back and neck troubles. ESPNhas the details: “‘When you start competing against your body more than you’re preparing for the actual game,’ Stojakovic said, ‘it’s a wakeup call.’ Stojakovic does have the privilege of leaving the sport on an unquestioned high after some standout moments during the maiden title run in Mavericks history. He scored 15 points and 21 points in back-to-back home victories over the Los Angeles Lakers that sealed a second-round sweep over the then-reigning champions, including a 6-for-6 performance from 3-point range in the Game 4 rout that eliminated L.A. But Stojakovic had to grit through persistent neck trouble in March — believed to be connected to his longstanding back woes — just to work his way back into coach Rick Carlisle’s playoff rotation. He leaves the NBA with career averages of 17 points and 40 percent shooting from 3-point range, ranking fourth all-time with 1,760 career 3-pointers made after establishing himself as an All-Star with the Sacramento Kings and later playing with the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets and Mavericks. Stojakovic quickly grew close with Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki in their short time as teammates. Reflecting on the January rival of his longtime former Kings rival, Nowitzki said: “The first time I saw him at practice shooting, I knew his stroke was still sick.'”

Without Amar’e (bum toe), the Wilson Chandler and the Knicks stepped up with a win over the Nets. Chandler led New York in scoring with 21 points but on 21 attempts. I can’t help but think that the Melo trade rumours have affected his play, which is a shame since he’s the Knicks’ best all-around player. The rest of the roster contributed, with Toney Douglas dropping 19 off the bench and Landry Fields (14 points) hit 3 big three-point shots in the 4th quarter. The Nets didn’t rotate to protect the 3-point shot which is like going hunting without bullets, and Brook Lopez regressed from his big game with 19 points and just 4 boards. Fields and the bench opened the 4th quarter with an 11-2 run which put the Knicks up 11, but New Jersey came back to within one point with 7 minutes to play. Three-pointers rained back and forth, before Fields nailed a triple that put NY up 4 with under 3 minutes to play. I can’t find a video, but after fields hit his last shot, his celebration warranted a re-wind. Fields now hits 64.5% of his three-pointers in the 4th quarter (20 of 31).

The Bobcats saw their playoff hopes glimmer after Stephen Jackson delivered a game-winning jumper to beat the Hawks. Charlotte trailed by as many as 22 points in the game, but kept fighting and shooting through their woes into a close 4th quarter. The last 3 minutes of the game is must-watch League Pass TV/Broadband, as the teams went back and forth. Josh Smith (28 points) posterized Najera on the break and tied the game with a free throw with 3:00 to play. The Hawks went to iso-Joe Johnson but he missed a jumper with the game tied at 86. SJax (32 points) knew it was time, stepped up and drained a fade away jumper over a double-team to win it for the Bobcats. Feel-good stat of the night: Shaun Livingston scored a season-high 22 points. Always have to root for players coming back from serious injury.

The San Antonio Spurs were mad at their performance against the Sixers the previous night and took out their frustrations against the Wizards. To call this game a blowout would not do justice to the term, as Tony Parker (18 points, 8 assists) led the charge and had the Spurs executing with Robocop precision. To put it in perspective, the Spurs scored 71 points in a loss to the Sixers on Friday night and had 72 against the Wizards by halftime. San Antonio shot 58% from the field, including 13-of-25 from distance and led by as many as 41 points. By laws of mathematics, someone technically had to lead the Wizards in scoring, and that “honour” fell to Andray Blatche and Cartier Martin with 16 points. For those wondering, the Wizards are still winless on the road and take that record to Cleveland against a Cavs team that hasn’t won back-to-back games since the Simpsons were considered fresh.

The Sixers received contributions from everyone and their ball boy as they cruised over the Wolves. Thaddeus Young scored 18 points, but the Sixers played great unselfish basketball with 24 total assists led by Andre Iguodala’s 15 points and 7 assists. Kevin Love had 16 point and 13 rebounds but his team shot just 36% from the field. No ball movement, ample turnovers, and defence that made Sasha Vujacic look like Gary Payton became the downfall of the Wolves on this night.

The latest attempt to showcase a 1-on-1 point guard battle in a team game saw Derrick Rose lead his Bulls over Chris Paul’s Hornets. The game was predictable early with Rose going 2-of-7 and Paul 2-of-4 in a low-scoring affair. Rose ruled the transition game (though the Hornets tried to slow him down by clogging the lane), while Paul took defenders off the dribble in the half court. CP3 had a nice crossover and behind the back bounce pass, but finished just 3-of-10 in the game for a total of 15 points and 6 assists. Rose picked up his game in the 2nd half, finishing with 23 points and 6 assists including a perfect trip to the free throw line (8-of-8). While Rose has shot 53 times in the last two games, the Bulls don’t have a serviceable shooting guard to take some of those jumpers. Both teams shot about 40% through halftime when Marcus Thornton hit two straight triples to lead the Hornets with 24 points off the bench. While Chicago was down 12 in the 3rd, they out-scored the Hornets 25-14 in the 4th quarter, capped off by a soaring off-balance jumper along the baseline by Rose.

Is it 2001 because someone just hit me on my Peja. The ghost of Peja Stojakovic re-surfaced to go for 22 points as the Mavs beat the Rockets. For those keeping track, this is the first productive night for Peja since Gasol had short hair. The Mavs shot 61% to lead by 13 at halftime as Dirk Nowitzki went 8-for-16 from the field for 22 points and 6 rebounds. Kyle Lowrly led Houston with 26 points and 8 assists but the Rockets had the task of climbing out of a 23-point deficit and their comeback attempt came too late. Lowry cut the gap to 3 points with 2:18 to play but Dirk’s jumper and Kidd’s lay-up put the game away for good. Stojakovic also tied Dale Ellis in 4th place all-time in 3-pointers made. Post-game, Dirk walked by Peja being interviewed and weighed in: “There’s a Peja sighting, baby! There he is!” Dallas faithful have to be wondering if Peja can stay healthy and hit enough shots to push the Mavs closer to their goal.

Danny Granger scored 14 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter as his Pacers overtook the Bucks. Granger sank two 3-pointers that helped the Pacers put the game away on a 14-0 run with under 4 minutes to play (Milwaukee didn’t help the cause by missing 12 straight shots during the same time). The Bucks continued their season-long offensive woes, with Carlos Delfino picking up the slack by scoring 21 points off the bench. Either interim coach Frank Vogel (7-1 since taking over) is letting his team play to their strengths, or they’re simply playing weak opponents but the Pacers’ 4th quarter shut-out shows growth for young and promising team.

Though the score indicates otherwise, the Thunder had control of the game from the 1st quarter as they led and won over the Kings to win their 4th in five games. Kevin Durant scored 10 of his team-high 35 points in the 4th quarter and Russell Westbrook added 22 points and 7 assists. Tyreke Evans had 30 points and 9 rebounds, but his 6 turnovers pointed to a problem for the Kings as they committed 18 turnovers in the game. KD stepped back and drilled a jumper that put his team up 6 with 47 seconds left but Tyreke had one last rally. After Evans converted a fast break layup and hit 2 free throws to cut the lead to 2 points, Durant missed both of his free throws which gave the Kings back with 5 seconds to go. Evans missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer as the Thunder came away with the victory. Check out Eric Maynor’s half-court shot to beat the 1st quarter buzzer.

Folks in Dallas are excited about Peja‘s arrival, and he’s already impressing them with his shooting stroke. From the Dallas Morning News: “During a Nov. 14, 2006 game against Charlotte while he was playing for the New Orleans Hornets, Stojakovic became the first player in NBA history to open the game by scoring his team’s first 20 points. The Dallas Mavericks are hoping the 6-10 small forward can recapture some of that amazing magic after they signed the former Toronto Raptor to a contract Monday for the remainder of the season. Mavs center Tyson Chandler was a teammate of Stojakovic when he defied all odds and torched the Bobcats. ‘That was unbelievable,’ Chandler said after Monday’s practice. ‘It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life.’ Now 33, Stojakovic has career averages of 17.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. He is, the Mavs hope, the shooter they’ve been searching for ever since Caron Butler suffered season-ending knee surgery after he was injured in a Jan. 1 game at Milwaukee. ‘He might be our best foreign shooter on this team,’ point guard Jason Kidd said, jokingly. ‘But we have a lot of foreign players, also. Dirk [Nowitzki] might not agree with that, but he might also agree with it. But it’s good to have a guy who’s been in this league and has been in some battles.’ Mavs fans probably best remember Stojakovic when he used to light up Dallas while playing for the Sacramento Kings from 1998-2005.”

Per the usual, Marc Stein has the scoop: “The Dallas Mavericks have quickly received a verbal commitment from the just-released Peja Stojakovic that he intends to sign with Dallas upon clearing waivers, according to sources close to the situation. Sources told ESPN.com that the Mavericks, meanwhile, are closing in on a separate trade with Toronto — sending little-used center Alexis Ajinca to Toronto — to create a roster spot for Stojakovic without having to let newcomer Sasha Pavlovic go. A trade call with the league office to secure final approval was scheduled for Thursday night. The Raptors formally waived Stojakovic on Thursday afternoon after completing a buyout of the 33-year-old’s $15 million expiring contract.”

The deal was close to being completed Friday night, but was held up over the amount of cash the Hornets would send to the Raptors in the trade.

Still, the holdup was not believed to be insurmountable, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A reliable Greek news source first got wind of the trade this morning. Peja lives in Greece in the offseason, and the report’s author is good friend of Peja’s.

The Raptors get younger and acquire a $15 million expiring contract. The Hornets receive a much-needed big (Andersen) and arguably the best player in the package (Jack). Jack is also one of Chris Paul’s best friends.

It seemed like the Hornets were going to keep Bayless, as they recently traded a first-round pick to acquire him and picked up his player option. He isn’t eligible to be traded until December 23… unless he’s traded individually. So, in order for this deal to happen, it’d have to be broken into two trades.

UPDATE: According to the NBA, it’s now officially a done deal: “The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have acquired Jarrett Jack, David Anderson and Marcus Banks from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jerryd Bayless and Peja Stojakovic. ‘We are excited about the players acquired today and feel that our short-term and long-term goals will benefit from this move,’ said Hornets General Manager Dell Demps. ‘Peja has been a valued contributor as a Hornet for years and we wish both Peja and Jerryd all the best in their future and thank them for their recent contributions in helping us get off to a strong start.'”

No more retirement talk, but it’s a new day in the Big Easy, and it doesn’t involve Peja (despite the heavy cost). From the Times-Picayune: “He’s on the periphery at present, on the outside looking in at the New Orleans Hornets’ historic 6-0 start. Since last Wednesday night when New Orleans beat the Houston Rockets, veteran forward Peja Stojakovic has been on the inactive list, three games with no opportunity to contribute as the Hornets sprinted out to an unbeaten start and became relevant once again in the NBA. They are the surprise team in the league at the outset, fueled by a young, athletic, defensive-minded group that has left a one-dimensional offensive threat a spectator, earning about $183,000 per game for cheering on his teammates. Stojakovic, at one time one of the most feared scorers in the NBA, finds his career at a crossroads … ‘It’s obvious I’m not in the plans,’ Stojakovic said. ‘I’m not looking long term. I’m looking at this year. I’m real about it. It’s just moving on with our career and lives. It is what it is. I’m a pro, and I’m going to stay pro,’ Stojakovic said. ‘That’s as far as I can say. I feel great. Physically, I feel great. I haven’t felt better in the last two or three years. But it’s something that we have discussed, and it’s clear to me that the team has different plans. So I’m just going to be a pro. That doesn’t mean I don’t respect our coaches or our organization. Or vice versa. We just go from here.'”

Yes, Peja’s apparently still in the League. Though, perhaps for not very much longer, according to the Hornets’ official website: “Stojakovic’s games-missed tally during his other three years with the club: 69, 21 and 20. The native of Serbia, who turned 33 in June and is in the final year of a five-year contract, now says that his health will determine how much longer he decides to play in the NBA. Stojakovic actually began playing professionally in Europe as a teenager, meaning he has a significant amount of wear and tear on his body after an additional dozen NBA seasons. He says his outlook on the future will depend partly on how he feels following the upcoming 82-game grind. ‘This is my 13th season, so I can say that I really want to go through this year pain-free,’ Stojakovic said. ‘Next year I’m going to be 34, so I will sit down and make a decision on my next move in life, whether I am going to continue to play, which I would love to under one condition: that I’m healthy and that I feel physically right to continue.’ Is it possible, then, that this might be his last season in the league? ‘I don’t want to think about it,’ he said. ‘It’s very hard for any athlete to think about that. I’m just approaching this year as another year in the NBA. I know that as the year goes by, you take hits on your body and you’ve got to accept that and make adjustments and roll with it.’ Despite the misfortune and injuries that have hampered him during his Hornets tenure, Stojakovic says he will always be grateful to have been able to play in the NBA for over a decade, a relatively rare feat in the league. He enters 2010-11 with 771 career NBA games under his belt, as well as 26,000-plus minutes.”

So did you know that in 1989 there were just nine teams in the NBA Draft Lottery? That’s right, because the expansion Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves came to fruition in 1990, thus creating an 11-team lottery until 1996 when the Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors came in to the League and pushed the lottery up to 13 teams. Finally, when the Charlotte Bobcats came about in 2005 we entered the modern day lottery system that we now watch on TNT every year during the Playoffs.

What’s the point? Each and every year teams draft in the lottery and miss out on players who become formidable in the League for years to come. Going back to 1989, what I have decided to do is rank the players who have been drafted outside of the lottery—whether it was outside of the top nine in 1989 or outside the top 14 in 2005.

There is no single way to accurately rank these players, so what I decided to do was take a look at statistics and combine those with the individual players’ overall career. For example, Derek Fisher might not have the best numbers on this list but the way he plays the game and the championships he has been a part of helped drive him up this list in to the top.

One other thing I’d like to mention is that it is tough to weigh the potential of current players against the lengthy careers of some of the guys on this list. With that being said, I did the best job I could of placing the younger guys where I thought they deserved to be on this list based on their production to this point and their potential for the future.

30. Rodney Stuckey | Drafted by Detroit Pistons | 2007 Draft | 15th Overall
It’s fitting that a player taken just outside the modern lottery is the guy who will start this list off. The Detroit Pistons made Stuckey their man with the 15th overall pick in the 2007 Draft. In his sophomore season at Eastern Washington, Stuckey averaged 24.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals per contest, proving that he was a capable scorer and leader in the process even though he was at a mid-major school. Since the Pistons shipped Chauncey Billups out west to Denver, the team has been his to run, where he has averaged 13 points and 4.3 assists per game while trying to help his squad return to the Playoffs. Stuckey has lots of skill and could definitely move up this list in time.

29. Andrei Kirilenko | Drafted by Utah Jazz | 1999 Draft | 24th Overall
AK-47 isn’t great in one particular area and that is exactly what makes him special. The Russian small forward was selected 24th by the Utah Jazz in the 1999 Draft and has proven his worth since, although he has been marred by inconsistency at times, especially at the offensive end where he has a career average of 12.4 points. But the reason he is valuable isn’t because of his offense but rather his defensive prowess—he has averaged 2.1 blocks and 1.4 steals per game for his career and is very versatile. Kirilenko makes winning plays and hustles constantly and for that, he just barely makes this list.

28. Josh Howard | Drafted by Dallas Mavericks | 2003 Draft | 29th Overall
Howard attended Wake Forest for all four years of school, increased his scoring every year until he had a career high of 19.5 points per game his senior year and shot 48.3 percent from the field overall. I remember watching him a few times when he was in college (and I was young) and saying that I thought he was a very good player who could do a little bit of everything out there. Still, Howard went 29th overall to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 Draft. Off the court he has had his fair share of issues but on the court he has been pretty consistent as a role player, averaging 15.3 points, 6 rebounds a game while also guarding the other team’s most potent scorer most of the time.

27. Zydrunas Ilgauskas | Drafted by Cleveland Cavaliers | 1996 Draft | 20th Overall
Z was drafted 20th in the 1996 Draft by the Cavaliers. He has averaged double figures in 11 out of 12 seasons and all of them have come in Cleveland for the Cavaliers, so consistency is definitely the key word for Ilgauskas. A native of Lithuania, Big Z might not be as athletic as other big men but he is certainly more consistent in pick-and-pop situations than your average center. Next season will be different for Ilgauskas—he has decided to follow his former teammate LeBron James to South Beach in the hopes of winning a title. If he stays consistent for the Heat he will be a major help from the outside.

26. Hedo Turkoglu | Drafted by Sacramento Kings | 2000 Draft | 16th Overall
The product of Turkey was drafted 16th overall in 2000 by the Sacramento Kings where he played alongside fellow list mate and European import Peja Stojakovic. He played well in Sacramento given his role and playing time but really started to come on once he reached the Magic in 2004. He played an integral part in helping them to reach the Finals in 2009 abilities to perform in isolation situations and clutch shooting on display. He sought a bigger contract and took on a much tougher role in Toronto last season where he struggled but is on the verge of being traded to Phoenix, where he should thrive in their up-tempo offense.

Marc Stein reports that Panathinaikos is going after a star. Guess that takes Stojakovic out of the picture: “I spoke Wednesday with a source quite close to Stojakovic. And the message was clear: There has been zero discussion in Peja’s camp about him leaving the Hornets and returning to Greece, where he played for a few seasons before making his NBA debut with Sacramento in the lockout-shortened 1999 season. The speculation emanates from recent Greek media reports asserting that Panathinaikos is close to landing ‘an important NBA star.’ Peja’s history there led to some inevitable but baseless assumptions.”

Choosing the decade’s best frontcourt wasn’t easy. 10 years; 30 teams; new rosters every year for almost every team. Meaning, over the course of a few days I had to scour 295 rosters–the Bobcats began play in the 2004-05 season–studying each and everyone of them. It would have been easy–well, maybe not easy, but not difficult–if I were just doing a face value analysis of the frontcourts. Who had the best group of three players over the course of one 82-game season; that would’ve been a breeze. But I hoped to be able to give you something more complex, advanced and telling. So I hit up my man Daniel Douek.

Daniel, a financial analyst by day and sports junkie by night, is on a savant level when it comes to numbers. In his free time, he’s been known to crunch all kinds of digits and configure new statistical models, coming up with fresh ways to evaluate NBA and NFL talent (think of him as a much younger John Hollinger). So I enlisted him to help me figure out a way to decipher 10 year’s worth of NBA data. Many hours and hundreds of chats later, we think we came to a conclusion as to the decade’s best frontcourt.

The following is our conversation almost verbatim.

10:22 PMme: So I’m working on a post about the best frontcourt of the decade that’s about to come to a close. Off the dome, best starting frontcourt of the decade options: Peja, C Webb, Vlade for the Kings about eight years ago? How about Wallace, Wallace and Prince in Detroit a few years back? Etc. Ideas?
daniel: That actually existed? me: Which one are you talking about? Those are just two options. I’m also thinking, Howard, Lewis, Turkoglu from last year. Or Pierce, Garnett, Perkins from chip season.

10:23 PM daniel: Duncan, D. Robinson and whoever (San Antonio) could be another good one.

10:25 PMme: But Robinson was pretty done by the Aughts, if I remember right.
daniel: Ok.me: Arit. If you think of anything, hollla.
daniel: KK.

10:30 PM daniel: Melo, Nene, Camby is a very solid group.me: Yeah, true. Or Kmart, Nene, Melo like last year.
daniel: Yeah, but Camby was/is defensive Player of the Year. me: The Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest combo is pretty nice, too.
daniel: I was gonna say Artest, Battier, Yao.me: That may be it; this year’s lakers trio.
daniel: It’s very good, but resist the urge to overrate Bynum.me: I know. Trust me, I’m not sold on him just yet.
daniel: Let’s look at it like this: Artest = Artest; Pau < Yaome: Pau is worse than Yao, but plays 30 more games a year.
daniel: Bynum > Shane Battier or L. Scola?me: I would match them up differently. Artest = Artest; Bynum is less than Ming; and Pau is better than Scola.
daniel: In the 2008-09 season, Yao played 77 games. So if its a one year question I would take that over the lakers trio that you mentioned.

10:40 PMme: So Scola, Artest, Ming you’d say are the best front court of the decade? It sounds crazy; we’ll have to dig into those numbers, man, or people will kill me.
daniel: Or maybe Camby, Melo, Nene. (But I may be too big of a Camby fan.) me: Yeah, think you are.

10:42 PM me: So we got a tip yesterday about Mr. Trina…I mean Kenyon Martin. An informed individual made the claim that Martin is Denver’s defensive quarterback. It’s hard to verify, but if you look at the team’s points given up per 100 possessions—105.4 when he’s playing; 110.5 when he’s sitting—it seems like it could be true. The team seems to be much better on D when he’s on the court.

10:44 PM daniel: Very interesting stuff there about k-mart. But I think the Peja, Webber, Vlade frontcourt might still be better.me: Yes! I have to look at the stats. I’m going year by year, team by team right now.
daniel: I don’t really remember how good Vlade was. I think you need to look at % of the teams points scored, rebounds and use your judgment on defensive assessment. The problem with Vlade, Peja and C Webb is, as I recall, none of those players were exactly defensive stoppers.

10:53 PM daniel: Another problem with the Lakers is that the frontcourt doesn’t include the team’s best player.me: Yeah, also, the season is not even half over so it’s hard to judge them.
daniel: right

10:59 PMme: Rookie Elton Brand and a Rookie Ron Artest together with Brad Miller in Chitown. I know they weren’t even close to the best frontcourt of the decade, but if they stayed 2gether…And, later, Jermaine O’Neal, Brad Miller and Ron Artest in Indy?!? That group should be in consideration, maybe?
daniel: Check percentage of points scored; I think it’s the biggest stat. So the nuggets, the best they get to (I think) is 49% of their team’s points. Whereas last year’s Rockets scored over 50% and were better defensively. Last year’s Magic are at like 54% of points scored; that’s just Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard. Wait! Ok, that’s it. The 01-02 Kings frontcourt scored 58.5% of the team’s points.

11:05 PMme: So 01-02 kings it is? In accordance with that stat, I mean?
daniel: That’s the best I saw. That team (the Kings) was ranked seventh in the league defensively, which is pretty good. The Rockets last year were just over 50% of the total offense and I think they were better defensively, but it doesn’t matter.me: Where you looking, basketball-reference.com?
daniel: Yeah.me: Also, the % of points doesn’t factor in the three guy’s D. Should that matter a lot? I mean, it does matter, but should it matter that much for this….
daniel: Well I don’t think it matters THAT much considering they were still the seventh best D in the league. If the D was towards the bottom I would say it matters. Oh, and I don’t know how they stack up rebound-wise. I think you should check that out me: OK, cool.

11:11 PM daniel: 23.8 rebounds per game for the 01-02 Kings; 24.8 for the magic last year, along with 54.5% of the teams points, and the number one ranked D in the A.me: The Magic? Really? With Hedo and Rashard, two guys who are known solely for their O? Wow.
daniel: I mean they’re D rating on basketball reference is number one (that’s based on pace and points allowed presumably).me: In terms of points allowed they were 6th in the L. Ok. Thanks, man.

11:53 PMme: ’03-04 Dallas squad had hella lot of strong frontcourt players: Jamison/Antoine walker/Dirk Nowitzki/Josh Howard and Michael Finley.
daniel: If you include reserves it becomes much more difficult because I think with the Kings one year, brad miller was a reserve (have to check that out).me: Nah, I’m not including them. I’m just saying, that’s hella lot of good non-guard players…
daniel: Also, I hate Toine. Dude is one of the least efficient players in the history of the game. (I actually like his swagger though—”because they don’t make 4 pointers.”)me: Ha. Love that quote. Man, liking the Cs, I have mixed feelings about him.
daniel: It’s interesting. I like him but if I were a GM (and I should be one) I would never want him. Ever. I believe at one point there was talk of a swap of Antoine Walker for Steph Marbury, and one sports writer said why would you do that; it’s like trading cancer for AIDS. me: Ha, sick. There are only a handful of writers who would—and could—write that.
daniel: I don’t remember who cause I heard it second hand. Point is, when evaluating Walker as a player I have to dock him for being so inefficient—even if I like him.me: BTW: Camby’s Defensive Player of the Year year, 2006-07, wasn’t the greatest year for Denver’s frontcourt.True, Melo had his best full year to date, but the power forward spot was an issue because Martin missed the season and Nene had one of his worse years. The year before may be a better look.
daniel: Thing is, Camby is always in contention for DPOY, and I feel like their rebounding numbers with him and Nene must be great.me: Nah, man, not that year. 2007-08 is even better, with Martin in and Nene out.

12:08 AMme: Yeah. On to the next team…

12:10 AM daniel: its going to be the 2001-02 Kings or the 2008-09 Magic.me: I’m looking at the 03-04 and 2004-05 Pistons right now. One of these two may also be in the conversation.
daniel: They only scored 41.6% of their team’s points in 2004-05.me: Yeah, but boards and defense need to be included. The intangibles. They were good, real good. Remember.
daniel: And they only pulled down 25.9 boards, and were number three in defense adjusted for scoring pace. And in 2003-04, Prince and the Rasheed and Ben W. only accounted for 37 percent of the team’s points. And they only pulled in 24.2 boards, but they were number two defensively when adjusted for pace.me: So I gather that 2003-04 is out. Prince was a little too raw, even though they won the chip.

12:16 AMme: It’s weird, by the way, that you like the Kings and Magic for this “award.” They were the two that came to mind and I mentioned immediately, without looking at stats.
daniel: Right. You also mentioned the Pistons, who don’t stack up as well stats-wise, but it is a good call on your part.

12:18 AMme: Now I’m looking at the 03-04 Pacers. Subtract the fact that Jeff Foster started and Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest were a sick one-two punch—both on O and D.
daniel: True. Here’s the question though: you’re starting a team, do you take last year’s magic frontcourt, or—me: Would you?
daniel: —Last years Nugget’s frontcourt? The basic questions is Melo or Howard, who do you prefer? Talking about just for one year, I’d take Melo. I love Melo, though; I think he is easily the third best player in the A.me: As does SLAM. Strictly looking at stats, Magic frontcourt had a better year, no?
daniel: The problem with looking at the stats for that is, it doesn’t take into account that the Nuggets have other players who can score reliably in Smith and Billups, and they didn’t need Nene and Martin to average a huge amount of buckets. me: So then going back to Pistons, they had Billups and Hamilton and they didn’t need Sheed or Tayshaun to shoot or score much.
daniel: Yeah, but their percentage of points scored is too low.me: You hear what I’m saying? We can’t say what could’ve been. Like how much they could’ve scored.
daniel: I think we can safely say that Ben Wallace would not have picked up the slack if needed.

12:22 AMme: Looking at the Suns: Amare, Marion and Qrich in that first season of seven seconds or less…..
daniel: That’s a very good scoring unit, but a very bad defensive unit.me: Yeah, true. Though Marion was an excellent defender and per 100 possessions was that actually a bad defensive team? I mean they gave the other team more possessions…therefore, even shooting a worse percentage, the other team was bound to score more. No? Isn’t that the per-100 argument?
daniel: They scored 54.6 % of the teams points, and arguably the two best players on that team were not in that group (Nash and Johnson). Their pace adjusted rating is 17th.me: Johnson, at that point, was not top two on that team. I like him…a lot, but no way. At that point in time, Marion was that good of a player all around.
daniel: When Joe Johnson broke his face against the Spurs, the series was over and people who knew the game knew that.me: Yeah, but if they lost Amare or Marion it also would’ve been over, too, no? The answer is yes, they would have lost without either of those two players.
daniel: Yeah, that’s true. Regardless, Nash was the best aspect of that team.me: Of course.
daniel: They could have lost Q Rich and still won—

12:27 AMme: WAIT! So does the best player on the team have to be in the frontcourt for it to be the best frontcourt?
daniel: No, but I think it counts against them if it’s not, like if the front court is the second option, if they aren’t driving the team. And if the front court is scoring because their pg gets them amazing looks, or because their sg takes all the pressure off them, it should count against themme: It’s tough to gauge who’s better sometimes. It’s like the chicken versus the egg argument; does a great lowpost player make his pg look good or does a good pg make a bad frontcourt player look good.

12:29 AMme: Anyway, moving on for a second, what do you think about the 03-04 Lakers?
daniel: …me: You see what I wrote?
daniel: Yes.me: Scratch it, because their small forward was Dev. George. Ewwwwww!
daniel: To be honest, though, I am leaning towards last year’s Magic team.me: Did you look at the Laker’s frontcourt last year, stats-wise? Just peak at their stats—under whelmed.

12:32 AMme: The thing is, and have you been factoring this in, being that the frontcourt is three players and the backcourt two, statistically speaking, shouldn’t the point per game numbers and percentages automatically be skewed to favor the frontcourt? Now obviously that doesn’t take the fact that guards score more into account; but still…Is that something we should be factoring in?

12:39 AMme: You here, broda? What, you headed to sleep already, fool?

12:43 AM daniel: Went to grab some eats and now I’m back. As to that Q of yours: guards score more, and there are reserves, so it’s not set up that 60% of scoring comes from three players. So, no, we’re good with our stats so far. Have you thought about the Champion Cs with Pierce and KG and Perkins?me:I said that a mad many minutes ago. Problem is: Perk didn’t do as much then.
daniel: Let’s see.me: You looking at the stats or am I?
daniel: They accounted for 45% of the Celts’ points; 20.4 rpg; and they were the number one D in the A.me: Eh. Magic, Kings and a handful of teams have done better.

12:48 AMme: What about 04-05 MIA Heat? Shaq, Eddie jones and Udon. Haslem?
daniel: Check the numbers…me: They’re not good enough.
daniel: I doubt they would be; not a great group.

12:51 AM daniel: Here’s another thing I would look at to help differentiate between the Magic and the Kings: the difference in rebounds is not that great, but I wonder about offensive rebounds? Is there a real difference there?me: Good point. Worth looking at, I’d say.
daniel: I’d bet the magic win that battle.

12:53 AMme: What about the early Aughts Trail Blazers? Sheed, Sabonis, Pippen or Steve Smith or Bonzi Wells.
daniel: Were Sheed and Z Randolph ever together—and by that I mean, were both ever seeing minutes on the same team?

12:56 AM daniel: By the way, if you’re not counting this year’s teams for the award, you have to count the 99-00 season.me: True. Agreed. Doesn’t change much for me, though. Oh, and I’m looking at the Kings throughout the decade right now. Then I have three more teams to look at: Spurs; Jazz; Wizards. All have potential: Duncan; Boozer, Okur and Dr. Dre AK-47; Caron Butler, Jamison, Haywoood.

12:59 AMme: Oh, sh*t! The 00-01 Kings were better than the 01-02 version. Webber and Vlade were playing better and putting up better numbers—even if the team didn’t go as far. Please double-check that for me.
daniel: Webber, Vlade and Peja accounted for 58.7% of that team’s points scored; 25.2 rpg; 6.4 orpg; 9.5 apg; 3 bpg; 7th best D.me: How does that compare to the 01-02 version….?
daniel: Looking at that year, 54.3% of points; 23.8 rpg; 6.4 orpg; 11 apg; 2.8 bpg.me: So 00-01 is better at scoring %, rebounds, just not assists…So, if you had to choose, based on what we just saw….the 00-01 version didn’t get as far, but produced better results stats-wise. Agreed?
daniel: Yes, and they were better at O-boarding than last year’s Magic. So throw them into the mix—to the top of the mix, actually.

1:10 AMme: Continuing: 07-08 Washington Wiz also were very good.
daniel: it’s Jamison, Haywood and Butler?me: Yeah, not bad, no?
daniel: 53% of team’s ppg; 24.1 rpg; 7.7 orpgme: Check the steals and blocks, too. They’re numbers should have been pretty good, I believe.
daniel: 7.3 apg; 2.4 bpg (woof)me: ugh.
daniel: 3.9 spgme: Spg is nice, but irrelevant-ish when looking at big men. I mean, not irrelevant but less important than if we were discussing guards.
daniel: And their D was 24th best after adjusting it for pace of play. me: Ok, so they’re clearly out.

1:14 AMme: How about this one; their stats are surprisingly dope: the 2005-6 Jazz.
daniel: AK47, Okur and Boozer? Wow…looking at the numbers…54% of ppg; 25.7 rpg; 7.1 orpg—me: 4.3 bpg and 9.4 apg, right? This group is surprisingly really f*cking good.
daniel: Yeah, but 21st in D with the pace adjustment. Weird, though, Kirilienko is considered great defensively—at least he was that year. me: And they had a low combined shooting percentage. But, they’re a surprising entrant into the discussion. By the next year, with Deron Williams there, they drop like crazy in the frontcourt. It’s amazing, but not surprising.

1:18 AMme: I’m on my last team, the spurs, gonna go through them and then we’ll assess the winner.
daniel: What about the Lakers with Shaq, Malone, and George? How did they stack?me: Not really well. Look that up real quick, if you can, I’m on to the Spurs.
daniel: Uch, they do not stack up at all. Forget it.me: Hahah, told ya that mad earlier. It’s kinda amazing that no Spurs team ever had a sick frontcourt in the Aughts. I just finished looking. Because of a weak small forward stats-wise or because Admiral Robinson was on the downside, they just never had that frontcourt. I mean Duncan individually is the best power forward ever, but he never played with two other good bigs, especially not after Robinson dipset.
daniel: In 99-000 they scored 49.5% of ppg and grabbed 26.5 rpg.me: Good, but we’ve seen much better, and it went downhill from there—guards took over, Parker and Manu.

1:36 AMme: On to the last one: Tyson Chandler/David West/Peja. I just need to check this one and then we can call it.
daniel: This is pretty good. It’s 49% of their ppg and 24.9 rpg.

1:38 AM daniel: I think as it stands it’s between the Kings of 00-01 and the Magic of last year—with outside chance 07-08 Nuggets. me: With that Jazz trio mentioned at some point. as a surprisingly good frontcourt.
daniel: Surprise guests should include the Jazz and last year’s Rockets.me: Yeah.

1:40 AM daniel: The 05-06 Nuggs were also very good: 52% of ppg; 4.7 bpg; 23.1 rpg; 6.2 apg; 3.3 spg; but only the 13th ranked D.me: Right. I’m caught between two teams, man. In your mind, who’s the winner: Sacramento in 00-01 or the Magic last year or someone else all together?
Daniel: One of those two. I have to stew on it.me: ok, stew. We’ll talk post-stewing

2:09 AM daniel: Okay, so the Kings of 2000-01 were the best frontcourt of the decade, better than the 2008-09 Magic, and here is why:
more orpg
more rpg
higher percentage of team ppg
more apg
more spg
better fg% (53.8 to 47.2)
better ft% 74.2 to 69.2
Though there are a few things that point to the magic, but most of the differences are pretty trivial: .3 orpg; .4 rpg; .4 apg; 3.9% of teams ppg (this is big but not huge); they also have .7 more blocks per game; took almost 400 more ft; and these are the big two, took 66.9% of the teams total fts (compared to 54%) and took 48.2% of the teams fgs compared to 45.6%.
I think it’s very close, though. me: Let’s look at the tie-breaker that I just made up: who had the better individual players. Meaning Peja versus hedo; Webber versus Lewis; Vlade versus Howard. I would say two of the three head-to-heads go to Kings, no?
daniel: Webber beats Lewis;Howard beats Divac; Peja is a better scorer than Hedo, but I wouldn’t run an offense through him the way you might through Hedo (2.2 apg compared to 4.9 apg)me: right. Peja wa so good at that point, though.Anyway, let me write Kings cause they were more fun. You know how much crap I would take for that?
daniel: Head-to-head, for me, would be: Hedo versus Webber, and Webber wins that. And Peja beats Lewis cause they are the same player.me: Interesting breakdown.
daniel: But Peja shot a better percentage…me: I had it the other way in my h-to-h because of listed positions.
daniel: I mean Webber and Hedo are very similar,with the assisting ability factored in.me: Right. I hear that, as to why that comparison works better. So Kings it is.
daniel: Barely. The defense factor really makes it uber close. Plus the Finals factor (Orlando) versus the conference finals (Kings).me: Change of heart, again, maybe? So now success factors in?
daniel: Technically they both lost to the western conference champs, and they both lost to the eventual champs.me: I like that; that’s a nice way to look at it.
daniel: I still think Kings but by literally the tiniest of margins— like a hair, at the end of a pimple at the end of the nose difference.me: I’m more than down with that. The Kings had the frontcourt of the decade…wow.

2:28 AMme: By the way, if you’re down, I’m gonna clean up this chat and run it as my column for the “decade’s best” piece.
daniel: Cool with me.me: Ok, great. After all the help your provided me with, it wouldn’t be fair if I just ran with everything we’ve said and threw my byline on it and forgot about Douek.

In assessing the decade’s top shooter I tracked down grainy, pre-HD video montages, scoured through lists of all stars, tried to make sense of stats I didn’t know exist, and… disregarded it all. The true mark of evaluating a marksman is recognizing one when you see one, and Ray Allen, the smoothest of operators, has earned the decade’s superlative while staking his claim as one of the top shooters of all time.

As the prototypical NBA player becomes too athletic for today’s game, the smaller Larry Bird, Reggie Miller and Steve Kerr appear in the rearview mirror. Allen has managed to channel his athleticism into a devastating weapon, keeping defenders honest and allowing himself the few inches of daylight he needs to deliver the basketball in a perfect arc toward the rim.

Allen is a study in consistency. Whether bursting off the dribble or brushing off a screen, Allen plants his left foot, squares his body toward the basket, bends his knees and elevates straight up – not veering this way nor that. He pumps the basketball from his torso with his right hand gripping the seams raising the ball to a crescendo above his head, perfectly between his eyes. He needs little time, as his left hand guides the ball before the right wrist snaps forward, violently, striking a steady, if uncomfortable, pose, and ensuring optimal backspin all in the matter of a split second as the ball is sent off on its parabolic journey.

Allen, whose self-admitted obsessive compulsive disorder-like tendencies translated into countless hours practicing what has become the NBA’s most enviable stroke, put up sensational numbers throughout the ‘00s while punishing defenders from all over the court. He has proven himself in the clutch, most recently as the Celtics’ top threat in the waning moments of a close game. He’s reliable from the charity stripe 89 percent of the time and has hit nearly 40 percent of his three-pointers – a shot of which only Reggie Miller has attempted more.

Surely, other great shooters were considered. Peja Stojakovic, perhaps the best pure shooter of the decade, never fully regained his form following a back injury in 2006-07. He has failed to shoot 40 percent from the field since and his average has been steadily dropping since 2003-04. Michael Redd, though deadly from the perimeter, has played in 112 fewer games than Allen this decade and didn’t fully burst onto the scene until ’03-04, giving Allen four more seasons of averaging 20 points per game before Redd notched his first. Steve Nash, perhaps the most accurate of the lot, is a point guard before he’s a shooter, just as Kobe Bryant, with the most technically sound form, is a scorer before he’s a shooter.

Having spent most of his career as the his team’s top scoring option, Allen’s outside shooting has become more crucial than ever as Boston’s second, if not third, option. While covering a Celtics-Supersonics game in ’05-06, I noted that Allen, then with Seattle, is the most surprisingly exciting player to watch live. He manages to pull off the most unlikely shots, contorting his elbows, barely glancing at the rim and somehow managing to guide the ball through the net, ever so much as grazing the rim on the rare occasion.

Allen has made an art form out of shooting for 14 years now. But you have to see him live to fully appreciate why he has truly earned the title of the Decade’s Best Shooter.

For health reasons, the Hornets are kicking around the idea of bringing Stojakovic off the pine next season: “Last season, the Hornets was unable to get a precise update on Stojakovic’s back condition until he reported for camp. As part of the franchise’s revamped offseason procedures, Mark Cranston [Director of Athlete Performance and Rehabilitation] was able bring back detailed reports concerning Stojakovic’s back strength … There is a possibility Stojakovic may come off the bench this season to extend his career. He has the team’s highest contract at $14.2 million this season and $15.3 million in 2010-11.”

I don’t know what you want to call this — Thought exercise? Guessing game? Massive waste of time for all involved? — but I have over the years enjoyed it as a starting point for interesting basketball arguments and have decided now, for whatever reason, to put it into digital print.

“This” being: A theoretical bit of prediction-making that assumes the career of a given NBA player ends immediately — not at the end of the season, but right now, this very second (10:08 a.m. on March 9, 2009, as I type this). It doesn’t matter how — make it dramatic or interesting or cruel and twisted if you like — but we assume that said player has been cruising through life as an NBA player until right … now. Suddenly and irrevocably, his career is done. He will never play another game, ever. His resume is as full as it’s gonna get. And so the hypothetical question, applicable for any of the roughly three dozen guys mentioned below, is this:

Is he, right now, in the Basketball Hall of Fame?

Read that sentence again, and notice my subtle emphasis on the present tense.

This is not about a player who was on a Hall of Fame pace, nor is it about who I think should be in. It’s about who, assuming this theoretical has become reality, does get it in. This is about historical precedent. This is about the fact that, unlike the halls in Cooperstown or Canton, the Hoop Hall is not specifically a “pro” hall of fame. And it’s about my own skeptical familiarity with the Hall of Fame election “process”. As such, I’ve considered variables I wish I didn’t have to, like “character,” off-court reputation or even where guys are from (the farther from the U.S., the better their numbers seem to look), that influence who gets the call and who gets left behind.

The players mentioned below are those whose resumes are, in my opinion, strong enough to justify making at least some theoretical case for — even if I (or the folks at the Hoop Hall) would never actually give them the time of day. I’ve broken them into four categories:

LOCKS: These guys have already punched their ticket. Book it, count it, send it in Jerome. The guys listed under “LOCKS” are just that. They are, for all intents and purposes, Hall of Famers right now, and nothing short of some shocking off-court development can change that.

PROBABLY IN: I’d be really surprised if any of these guys aren’t locks, but I can foresee an argument or arguments against their inclusion. Those arguments shouldn’t be enough to keep them out, but there’s a slim chance they miss the cut.

PROBABLY OUT: Each of these guys has a lot going for him; each of them also a red flag or flags that will almost definitely keep them from getting to Springfield.

LOCKED OUT: The guys on this list have strong resumes that at least earn them a look, but at this point in their careers, they simply haven’t done enough to get in. Some of them WILL, eventually, but that’s not the discussion we’re having right now, is it?

Worth noting: I am indebted to the good folks at Basketball Reference for making a lot of these stats easy to find, but it wasn’t until I was almost done putting this together that I noticed B-R’s “Hall of Fame probability” feature, which, because I’m making predictions, not measuring probability, I made a point not to look at it. Just, FYI.

Players are listed, by category, in alphabetical order.

Also, I didn’t consider anyone who wasn’t in at least their fifth NBA season. Sorry, Chris.

Oh, and if I got any numbers wrong — which seems likely, as there are a f*cking lot of numbers here — feel free to let me know. If I actually forgot any players (I almost forgot Dirk, which was funny), let me know about that, too.

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LOCKS

Justification is provided where I figured certain players might need it; the rest are too obvious for any remotely sane person to argue with, and thus required nothing beyond their names.

Ray Allen is a member of the All-Star Advisory Council for the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA youth basketball support program. Ray Allen is the NBA Spokesman for the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. Ray Allen is also considered one of the best pure shooters in NBA history. Knock him for being one-dimensional if you like (even if the criticism isn’t really accurate), but Ray’s better at that one thing than pretty much anyone’s ever been. Add in terrific college and NBA resumes, and his long-time standing as one of the NBA’s ultimate “good guys” — i.e. a player the League can safely market to advertisers and ticket-buyers, not just the sort of degenerates who read SLAM. Playing an integral role in the C’s title last year clinches it.

On the VERY off chance you think LeBron is too young to be a lock, consider this: Hall of Famer Bill Walton scored 6215 points in 468 career NBA games. Bron has more than DOUBLED that point total — in 15 fewer games. Obviously Bill’s got that ridiculous college career going for him, plus rings at UCLA and Portland. Bron counters with three state high school championships and a very high-profile Olympic gold — all of which is unnecessary, of course. He’s in regardless.

Good but not great numbers, and he’s never been first-team All-NBA, but the Mr. Big Shot rep he earned during Detroit’s run will linger. For obvious reasons, I’ll compare him to Joe Dumars. And Joe’s in the Hall.

He’s never been first-team all-NBA, and his rep as dispassionate — which we don’t have to get into here — will hurt his cause. But hey, Nique made it eventually, right? Compare the stats. Too easy. Probably.

His NBA numbers are relatively underwhelming, but anyone paying attention appreciates his value to the Spurs; in the Hall’s eyes, he’s like a post-2K James Worthy. Add in his international success — both professionally and in the Olympics — and he’s already nearing lock status.

Just as this list is not about what might be, it’s also not about what might have been — but we all know that if he’d stayed healthy, Grant would be a lock. As it is, his career numbers are terrific, and his college resume is hella strong. Plus, he’s the only two-time recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award and widely considered one of the League’s best citizens. He’ll get Walton-esque sympathy points for having missed so much of his prime with injuries, too. I’m not sure that’ll be enough, but I’m guessing it will.

The numbers tell us why AI should be a lock. But a combination of off-court issues (legal scrapes that stretch from high school to the pros) and a growing sense after two semi-recent trades that he doesn’t make teams better (even after he carried an otherwise terrible Sixers team to the ’01 Finals) makes me think they could leave him out. They won’t — I know they won’t — but there’s this tiny little part of me that wonders. And worries.

Dude hasn’t averaged double-digit rebounds in seven years, yet his career average is still over 10, and he’s second all-time in blocks. His lack of any offense beyond put-backs won’t help, but it should be countered by the fact that THE MAN BUILDS HOSPITALS FOR POOR PEOPLE. Anyway, he’s a four-time Defensive POY. That’ll be awfully hard to deny.

Most of the tough ones in this category were guys like Ginobili and Wade (below), who I nearly put on Lock status. In Tony’s case, I was tempted to knock him down to “Probably Out.” His numbers are good but not great, he has no great college or international resume to prop himself up, and other than that week-long span in June of ’07, he’s probably never been the clear-cut best player on his own team. He’s getting closer to it, though, and his French citizenship (even if he was born In Bruges!) scores global-appeal points, just as it does for Yao and Manu. Plus, three rings and a Finals MVP make even baby-faced Tony look like a grown-ass man.

Wade’s numbers are only a little bit behind those of his Draft-classmate and homie LeBron, and unlike Bron, he’s got a ring and a Finals MVP to his name. So why isn’t Wade a Lock? For the same reason he has no chance to win MVP this year, even though he has nearly a strong a case: Dwyane just doesn’t quite transcend like LeBron does. There’s no really good reason for this, other than the fact that I wrote a book about one of them and not the other.

Comparisons to Deke (who I think is in) or Dennis Rodman (who isn’t) make this one a tough call. But Ben doesn’t wear wedding dresses in public, and four DPOYs are gonna be tough to ignore.

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PROBABLY OUT

I found this category the hardest. I could’ve just done “In,” “On the Bubble,” and “Out,” but I figured “Probably In” and “Probably Out” would make it more interesting. As such, it would’ve been easy to put guys like EB and Tracy on the bubble and leave it at that, but I didn’t. If this doesn’t generate discussion, I give up.

His NBA career has been statistically terrific but marred by a lack of high-level team success and a string of knuckle-head moves off and on the court. So I didn’t even expect Melo to be in the conversation, until I remembered the gold medal and the NCAA title. Those things, and his pro numbers to date, put him in the picture. For now, that’ll have to be enough.

A 10-year double-double? That’s hard to sleep on, as is that college POY on his resume, as is the fact that he’s widely considered one of the nicest guys in the League. Then you remember he’s made the playoffs ONCE his entire career, most of which he’s spent on teams that ranged from mediocre to terrible — and whatever he’s done, with a single exception in 2006, it hasn’t been enough to get those teams into the playoffs.

3, 4, 4, 7, 7, 7, 6: The number of games, per season, that McGrady has played in seven career postseason trips. Nobody remembers that he averaged 28.5, 6.9 and 6.2 in those games. What everybody remembers is that none of those teams made it past the first round. Throw in an increasingly questionable level of commitment, and Mac’s in trouble.